Kathy Smallwood Leads Fearles Defiance to AQHA World Championship in Weanling Geldings

By: Brittany Bevis

Kathy Smallwood was all smiles this morning at the 2013 AQHA World Show when she led Fearles Defiance to a win in the Open Weanling Geldings for owner John Tan. The gelding they call “Little Fearles” is a product of three generations of breeding by this halter horse enthusiast from Sherman, Texas. He is by Fearles and out of Lil Miss Fancy.

“It’s a home-bred,” Tan says. “I had gotten his grand-dam [Fancy Me A Cool Kid] as a baby. I’m into the breeding part. I bred that mare, and she’s had three babies. Two of them have been World Champions, and the third one is his mother. She is now a World Champion producer. I’ve had his grand-dam, bred his dam, and bred him.”

Little Fearles’s grand-dam, Fancy Me A Cool Kid, was Tan’s first foray into the halter horse industry. She was actually his first horse ever, and she proved to be an excellent choice delivering a full line of AQHA Champions.

“We have a yearling mare [Oh So Righteous] showing here who won an AQHA Youth World Championship with my niece, Lexi Tan,” he says. “We are also showing a two-year-old gelding [Righteous Endeavor] who was a World Champion in the Amateur Weanling Geldings a couple of years ago and third in the Amateur 2-Year-Old Geldings last week with my brother [James Tan] showing him.”

“Those two are full brother and sister, and the dam of this one is their half-sister. It’s a whole family. They all stem from this one mare, Fancy Me A Cool Kid. She’s a I’m Kiddin mare.”

It came down until the final overall placings were announced before Tan learned that his gelding would be named a World Champion. He says the competition is so fierce at this type of world caliber event that anything can happen.

“This show and the classes are always so tough,” he says. “We always say, if you are in the top five, it can go any way. It’s kind of like a horse race with a photo finish. You never know until it’s finally announced.”

Tan was thrilled with the way Little Fearles showed for Smallwood and was quick to commend his trainer for her dedication and preparation skills.

“She does a spectacular job,” he says. “We’ve been with her for many, many years. She has been my only trainer. She is so great with the horses. She cares so much about them, particularly the babies. They need a lot of TLC and handling, and she does a wonderful job with them.”

Weanling Geldings–

1-Fearles Defiance/Kathy Smallwood

2-He’s That Cool/Ted Turner

3-Coolsified Secret/Ross Roark

4-Big Intentions/Jason Smith

5-Righteous Rascal/Tim Finkenbinder

6-Fg Mr Debonair/Clint Fullerton

7-Elusionistic/Buddy Laney

8-Kool Conclusion/Tom Robertson